BADDIES

TALPA:

Okay, he's not new! So sue me! Still, I just thought I should mention him. After all, he is the most prominent baddie of them all! Not much to say here that you don't already know... Talpa is a demon lord from the Dark Realm or Nether Realm who leads the Dynasty Empire and has aspirations of annhilating the Ronin Warriors and conquering their world. He came close once, a year prior to this story, but was supposedly defeated by the Ronins. The good guys have yet to discover how he managed his survival and consequent return, but he can't hide the facts forever.

Now that he has returned, however, he has a few new cards up his sleeve, and a particularly strong yen to hold Rowen under his control. Why? Well, regaining his former power seems to be highest on the possible motive list, but to be sure you'll have to read the rest of the story! One thing is certain, though: his plans have changed to the point where even his loyal Warlords are primarily clueless where his motives and ultimate goals are concerned. Mandilyn and Lady Catelyn are perhaps the only ones who know what is truly going on with him, and they definitely aren't talking.

Stats:
Age: 1,000+
Origin: Ancient Japan
Eyes: Evil, glowing red
Hair: White
Height: *shrug* Search me! Ooh, that tickles!
Armor: All nine Ronin and Warlord armors combined
Fave Quote: I am all-powerful! You can never defeat me! Even if you already have two, three times before.

MANDILYN:

Talpa's most trusted servant, Dark Mage, old windbag: all things that describe this ancient lady. She's a sorceress who wields untold amounts of power and influence over the Nether Spirits whom Talpa uses to cast spells on the Ronins & Co. repeatedly, but almost always manages to let her master down in a uniquely baddie style.

Her age and origins are unknown, but it's safe to say that she's almost as young as dirt, but not quite as old as time. I'd place her sometime around the Cretaceous period. She's a stooped-over old hag with a rude attitude and only shows emotions directly related to fear of Talpa, superiority over her fellow minions, and a sort of orgasmic reaction to using her powers for the advancement of evil.

Stats:
Age: Unknown
Origin: Unknown
Eyes: Dull grey
Hair: Scraggly and grey-white
Height: About 4'9" when hunched over (as she always is)
Armor: None
Fave Quote: Nether Spirits, it's time for my sponge bath! And bring me more roadkill for my wig!

AZUREN:

Sure, Azuren died in the chapter she first appeared (chapter twelve), but I believe she's still significant enough to add to this list. She was a particularly powerful demon and was equivalent to a leader of the Nether Spirits, sort of like Star Trek's Borg 'head brain', whom Mandilyn was able to enslave and call forth from the Nether Realm (hence her superior control over the Nether Spirits). She was a fury-filled demon who longed only for the kill and filled out many orders for Talpa over the centuries.

Her last mission was to retrieve Rowen and bring him back to the Nether Realm (Mandilyn was supposed to, but sent Azuren instead). However, after a rather short confrontation with Rowen, she was defeated and killed. I'm still trying to figure out just why I killed her off (stories write themselves, y'know?), so I may or may not find a way to revive her in future chapters. After all, that baddie had some potential.

Stats:
Age: Unkown
Origin: Unknown
Eyes: Emerald green
Hair: Golden blond
Height: 5'7"
Armor: None
Fave Quote: You are all disgusting, pitiable little creatures and hardly worth my time.

THE NEW DARK WARLORDS

AZRAEL:

Azrael is Talpa's new Dark Warlord of Corruption/Darkness. During an ambush on the original Warlords shortly prior to the beginning of 'Star', he, Lapin, Candra, and Venom swiped their armors and imprisoned them in their home in what was supposed to be a reformed Dynasty (after the Ronins & Co. 'defeated' Talpa in the series). They used the armors for themselves and became Talpa's new Dark Warlords.

Azrael was the one Talpa sent to capture Rowen in the beginning of the story, and was supposedly killed by Rowen in his escape with the former Warlords. What Rowen doesn't know is that Azrael has the ability to heal himself, rendering him nearly invincible unless killed instantly.

Stats:
Age: 22 (when he joined the Dynasty)
Origin: Medieval Europe
Eyes: Coal grey
Hair: Deep auburn, wavy and shoulder length
Height: 6'3"
Armor: Darkness/Corruption
Fave Quote: You don't stand a chance, Ronin scum! The Dynasty will win... eventually.

LAPIN:

Lapin is Talpa's new Dark Warlord of Illusions. During an ambush on the original Warlords shortly prior to the beginning of 'Star', he, Azrael, Candra, and Venom swiped their armors and imprisoned them in their home in what was supposed to be a reformed Dynasty (after the Ronins & Co. 'defeated' Talpa in the series). They used the armors for themselves and became Talpa's new Dark Warlords.

Lapin is definitely the most aggravating of the new Warlords. His nerve-grating voice and cruel taunting could make the calmest and coolest of all people fly at him in a rage, which is part of what makes him so deadly. He's small-statured, but very quick and dangerous with a keen understanding of what makes humans angry. He was one of Rowen's torturers while he was imprisoned.

Stats:
Age: 21 (when he joined the Dynasty)
Origin: Medieval Japan
Eyes: Red
Hair: Short, spiky grey
Height: 5'10"
Armor: Illusions
Fave Quote: I'm so annoying I could kill you with only the sound of my voice!

LADY SYRIA:

Syria was Rowen's main tormentor while he was imprisoned in the Dynasty, and she was even the one responsible for killing his sister and forcing his brother to work for the Dynasty when Rowen was younger (refer to Alex Hashiba's profile below). She was a slave of the Dynasty for most of her life (she was born around the time the orginal Dark Warlords all were), and only gained her status as Mandilyn's apprentice and a lady of the Dynasty recently, after the original Warlords and Lady Kayura turned to good.

She too, turned good, after Alex Hashiba's ghost came to her and erased Talpa's hold on her. She then helped Rowen escape just as he was at the end of his rope, but was killed shortly after by her former ally, Venom.

Stats:
Age: 19 (when she joined the Dynasty)
Origin: Medieval China
Eyes: Bright green
Hair: Long, forest green
Height: 5'5"
Armor: None
Fave Quote: Your pain is my pleasure!

CANDRA:

Candra is Talpa's new Dark Warlord of Cruelty. During an ambush on the original Warlords shortly prior to the beginning of 'Star', she, Lapin, Azrael, and Venom swiped their armors and imprisoned them in their home in what was supposed to be a reformed Dynasty (after the Ronins & Co. 'defeated' Talpa in the series). They used the armors for themselves and became Talpa's new Dark Warlords. Candra is the self-proclaimed leader of these new Warlords.

Candra has a truly cruel heart which feels nothing but anger and blood-lust, making her almost impossible to reason with and harder to stop. She's the definition of evil, and was the only one of this generation of Warlords to willingly join Talpa's empire as a personal servant to him. Her only wish is to be Talpa's most favored follower and to fulfill all of his wishes entirely. She rarely fails him. Candra's biggest pet peeve is Lady Catelyn, whom she sees as her only competition.

Stats:
Age: 23 (when she joined the Dynasty)
Origin: Medieval Japan
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark red
Height: 5'7"
Armor: Cruelty
Fave Quote: All will fall before my terrible wrath!

VENOM:

Venom is Talpa's new Dark Warlord of Venom. During an ambush on the original Warlords shortly prior to the beginning of 'Star', he, Lapin, Candra, and Azrael swiped their armors and imprisoned them in their home in what was supposed to be a reformed Dynasty (after the Ronins & Co. 'defeated' Talpa in the series). They used the armors for themselves and became Talpa's new Dark Warlords.

Venom is the most psychotic and driven of the Warlords, even more so than Candra. His senses left him long ago, but he has superior fighting skills and a love for murder. He would kill children and then happily lick their blood off his blade. He knows nothing of mercy and delights in the torture and death of others, and is therefore difficult to control. His only loyalty is to Talpa, though he will sometimes obey Candra's orders.

Stats:
Age: 20 (when he joined the Dynasty)
Origin: Medieval England
Eyes: Violet
Hair: Short and orange
Height: 6'3"
Armor: Venom
Fave Quote: Die, die, DIE!!

LADY/PRINCESS CATELYN:

Catelyn, usually referred to as Cat, is Talpa's favorite, and has even been named heir to his empire. She has an animal companion named Sapphire who was trained by the late Lord Saber Stryke, and bears the Armor of the Crescent Sun. Little is known about her except that she joined the Dynasty when she was a child of only about ten-years-old and is by far the strongest of Talpa's Warlords. According to Catelyn herself, Alex Hashiba is the reason why she is in the Dynasty, though no details have been given as of yet.

Catelyn's only desire is to capture Rowen of the Strata for her master and make him pay for injuring her lioness, Sapphire. She is a master martial artist and a superior warrior, but her lost childhood seems to catch up to her from time to time, which would appear to be her only weakness. Still, her strength and cunning make her a most formidable enemy to the Ronins & Co. and her mysterious Crescent Sun Armor bears untold amounts of power.

Stats:
Age: 16
Origin: Unknown
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Black-brown
Height: 5'3"
Armor: Crescent Sun
Fave Quote: Strata's mine! Get your paws off him, honey!

GOODIES

ALEX:

Deceased elder brother to Rowen Hashiba, Alex appears as a ghost throughout 'Star', always doing his best to assist the Ronins & Co. and guide his brother along the right path. His story is one of the sadder ones told in 'Star'.Alex was the Ronin Warrior of Strata before Rowen. Seven years ago, in America, he was forced to join the Dynasty when Lady Syria, then a lowly servant, kidnapped Rowen and his twin sister, Annie. To prove she was serious, Syria threw Annie off a cliff to her death. To make certain Rowen would be spared, Alex agreed to join the Dynasty.

He worked for Talpa for five years, all the while plotting against him, but was killed when he finally made his move to stop Talpa's empire from entering the mortal world. Then a ghost, he was able to move freely between worlds and even make Rowen the new Ronin of Strata.

Alex died at the age of nineteen, though, due to Talpa's meddling, he is forever trapped in the body of the fourteen-year-old boy he was when he left the mortal world (sidenote: Rowen and Annie were ten at that time). He looks just like Rowen, although his hair is cut differently and he appears younger (he's actually four years older (or supposed to be (these things are fun (aren't they?)))).

There is also a darker side to Alex's story concerning his time in the Dynasty, but it's too soon for me to expose that secret just yet...

Stats:
Full Name: Alexander Akira Hashiba
Age: 14 (when he joined the Dynasty)
Origin: America
Eyes: Indigo blue
Hair: Electric blue
Height: 5'8"
Armor: Had Strata before he died
Fave Quote: Look on the bright side! You could be responsible for the destruction of entire universes!

THE 'NEW' RONIN WARRIORS

RANDI:

Randi was the first of the new Ronin Warriors to be pulled into the original Ronin Warriors' realm. She has what is assumed to be a copy of Rowen's original Armor of Strata.

Randi was afflicted with a strange illness that produced injuries and sickness of an unknown nature that is closely related to Rowen's injuries from his captivity. She was in a coma at the time she appeared in the astral dream world where Rowen was about to be killed by ghouls in a lake. Randi jumped in to try to save him, but both were murdered.

Miraculously, she was revived by some faeries and shortly after saved Rowen's life. The faeries told her that she was his soulmate and was brought there to help Rowen defeat Talpa. She has yet to tell anyone about the soul mate aspect of that conversation. After returning to Rowen's world with him and helping win a battle against the Dynasty, she realized that her friends, also Ronin Warriors, needed to be brought to that world for protection against Talpa.

Randi's best friend is Tai, and she made an immediate connection with Rowen. She's very intelligent and easy-going and is one of the few new Ronin Warriors with any training in martial arts. She sees visions, both prophetic and otherwise, and is the only person other than Rowen who can 'talk' to his horse, Legacy.

Stats:
Full Name: Randi Angelina Tomasi
Age: 16
Origin: Midwest America
Eyes: Aqua/grey blue
Hair: Mid-length, golden blond, wavy
Height: 5'4"
Armor: Strata
Fave Quote: And why do you suppose that is, dumbass?!

TAI:

Tai is also from Randi's world, and has a copy of Sage's Armor of Halo. Randi is her best friend and the only person she will open up to about many things. She's intelligent and pretty, with a tendency to be a bit vain and conceited unless she's with friends. She was adopted from Korea as a baby, which may be why she is so introverted and self-dependent much of the time.

Tai shows an immediate interest in Sage, which is peculiar for her (she's very picky about members of the opposite sex). She's also very skeptical about the entire situation with being transported to an alternate universe and being a Ronin Warrior who is supposed to help fight off an evil empire, despite the fact that she's read every book J.R.R. Tolkien ever wrote five times. She even had a vision about Rowen and Sage when she visited Randi in the hospital, but doesn't believe that prophetic visions exist.

Stats:
Full Name: Tai Ji Sook Anders
Age: 15
Origin: Korea
Eyes: Dark brown
Hair: Black-brown
Height: 5'
Armor: Halo
Fave Quote: School's making me stupider again! Ahh!

CHRIS:

Chris is also from Randi's world, and has a copy of Dais' Armor of Illusions. Chris is very intelligent and witty, but often uses it to tease and annoy people versus getting straight A's and impress others. He's a huge flirt and pretty popular, but is rarely ever serious, although he's very honest. He has a reputation for being a jerk, but his closest friends know that he often cares too much about things.

He's athletic and quick in battle, but has never had any martial arts training. He does surprisingly well when he fights against the Dynasty, aided by the fact that he sees auras and readily believes everything Randi tells them. He and Randi are the only two from their world who have the advantage of supernatural abilities.

Stats:
Full Name: Christopher Michael Green
Age: 16
Origin: Midwest America
Eyes: Light blue
Hair: Short, spiky, dark blond
Height: 5'9"
Armor: Illusions
Fave Quote: That's just because I'm better than you!

MANDA:

Manda is from Randi's world and has a copy of Ryo's Armor of the Wildfire. She is a small Catholic girl with a big mouth, a fiery temper, and an impulsive nature. She has an incredible sense of humor and is painfully honest, but has a serious side as well. Often leaps into trouble and has to fight her way out of it, which she seems to enjoy. She is passionate about everything and rarely stops moving and thinking. Manda has no formal training, but has plenty of experience fighting with Randi and can hold her own in most situations. She looks frail due to her small frame and almost constant illnesses, but is one of the better fighters of the group because she's very determined and surprisingly strong.

Manda gets along well with everyone, but often tends to keep quiet while in Rowen & Co.'s world since she has some trouble believing all of it, which seems to be a paradox of her natural ability to adapt.

Stats:
Full Name: Amanda Rae Larson
Age: 16
Origin: Midwest America
Eyes: Green-brown
Hair: Chocolate brown, shoulder-length
Height: 5'2"
Armor: Wildfire
Fave Quote: YOU BIZATCH!

SAM:

Sam is from Randi's world, too. She has a copy of Cale's Armor of Darkness. Sam is ditzier and more hyper than most of the new Ronins, which gives her a rep for being stupid although she's actually pretty smart when it comes to fighting. She is about the only new Ronin with martial arts training (she and Randi used to attend tae kwon do together), even though she is intimidated easily by her opponents.

Sam accepts the situation much more easily than most of her friends, which shows that she is more open-minded than she sometimes appears. However, she is often very pssimistic and prone to giving up easily. In appearance, she most resembles Randi.

Stats:
Full Name: Samantha Marie Morris
Age: 15
Origin: Midwest America
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Light brown with blond streaks
Height: 5'4"
Armor: Corruption/Darkness
Fave Quote: I don't know! How the heck should I know?

ADRIANO:

Adriano is from Randi's world and has a copy of Kayura's Armor of Cruelty. He is the very definition of 'life of the party', and is always upbeat. He's very active and athletic, but likes to be lazy when he gets the chance. Very easy-going and natural in almost any situation, and seeming to lack the ability to be serious (he can be sincere, though).

Adriano's father is from France and has lived there since his parents divorced when he was about five, so Adriano spends a lot of time in Europe with him. He and Chris are best friends and are always getting into trouble together.

Stats:
Full Name: Adriano Michel LeFleur
Age: 16
Origin: Midwest America
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark brown roots with bleached ends
Height: 5'6"
Armor: Cruelty
Fave Quote: No, I will not make out with you! Oh, who am I kidding?!

MARIA:

Maria is from Randi's world and has Sekhmet's Armor of Venom. She is the laziest one of the bunch, but is wild and scatterbrained, much like her close friend Sam. Her father is Mexican, giving her a distinctly Hispanic appearance and thick dark hair that she almost always wears up in a ponytail with the same green scrunchie she's been wearing for years. She lived in Brooklyn until her parents divorced several years ago and she moved to the same Midwestern town all of her comrades are from.

Maria dresses and acts like a jock, preferring Nike to anything else, and definitely has a more tomboyish approach to things, but she's too lazy to be active in any sports. She even complains about the minimal amount of suffering she has to endure in gym class like it was the Olympics.

Stats:
Full Name: Maria Cecilia Vasquez
Age: 16
Origin: New York, America
Eyes: Dark brown
Hair: Wavy, long and black
Height: 5'5"
Armor: Venom
Fave Quote: Hey! Those are my brains, you creep!

AMY:

Amy is one of the Ronins from Randi's world and has a copy of Kento's Armor of the Hardrock. She is very athletic, fun and easy-going with a naturally confident appearance, but often doubts herself and her worth. She's very strong and has an overwhelming sense of right and wrong, and she's very loyal to her close friends. Amy has the best natural fighting ability of all of them, but lacks the experience using it in battle, which ends up being her Achilles' heel. She is also the oldest of the group by almost a year.

She has an upbeat sense of humor and lightheartedness that can brighten up anyone's day whether she's trying to or not, and is very compassionate and undertsanding.

Stats:
Full Name: Amy Jean Smith
Age: 17
Origin: Midwest America
Eyes: Green-blue
Hair: Yellow-blond
Height: 5'7"
Armor: Hardrock
Fave Quote: Dammit! I forgot my Ritalin again!

RHIANNE:

Rhianne is from Randi's world. She has a copy of Cye's Armor of Torrent. She is in many ways both one of the most narrow-minded individuals of the group and one of the most open-minded, depending on the topic involved. She's very religious and intelligent, with a wild imagination and understanding of things, but she's quite naive and skeptical. Other than Randi, she is Tai's closest friend. She is a bit reserved, but still very out-going and wild when she's with a bunch of friends.

Rhianne has been trained in karate, but it was when she was very young and she only remembers the things that have been made instinctual for her. She's also very athletic and strong, much like Amy.

Stats:
Full Name: Rhianne Dawn McCormick
Age: 16
Origin: Midwest America
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Medium-length, brown
Height: 5'4"
Armor: Torrent
Fave Quote: You are so weird!